Quiet As A Mouse
by Bone Bond
Summary: Once Chip's nanny, now a plush mouse because of the curse put on the castle, Rosalie wrestles with feelings for one of her friends. But when she finally works up the courage to tell him, she finds a man different than the one she's known for so long.
1. Chapter 1

There was silence except for the soft padding of two small plush pink paws against the slick hardwood flooring of the castle. An equally pink, as it was just as bare of fur, tail dragged along behind, making the faintest whisper was it did so. Along with the paws and tail, furless felt ears moved in awareness of any noises other than the ones created by the creature walking along. A small pink nose twitched every now and then for no particular reason, causing the whiskers near-by it to quiver.

Now, one might not find it so strange to find a mouse wandering around in a castle as large and nearly desolate as this one. In fact, it was probably expected. But what _was_ strange about the creature was that it was walking on its hind legs like a human might and had its front legs crossed like an agitated person might cross their arms. However, humans have a knack for brushing anything out of the ordinary away. The mouse was probably just on its hind legs looking around nervously before it would scamper away on all fours like most mice do. And its legs weren't _really_ crossed; it had just been a trick of the eyes.

In this particular castle, however, things much more abnormal in origin had and would continue to happen so it was not so odd to see the female mouse walking around like a human being. Nor was it unusual that, if one inspected her, they would find she was not truly a mouse, but a plush mouse. Her caramel brown fur with the slightest red tint was not real fur, but fake. The whiskers were plastic. Nothing but stuffing resided in the body. Yet, most unlike _most_ stuffed animals, this one happened to be able to move quite easily and on her own accord. She could speak, laugh, cry. And intelligence resided in the dark pools that were her eyes. But this was a castle like no other. An enchanted castle where a curse resided that had turned all of the residents into objects. All except their master, whom had been morphed into a terrifying beast.

So a plush mouse walking slowly down a deserted hallway with her small arms crossed and looking quite unhappy was not altogether all that out of the ordinary.

Pink ears pricked suddenly, standing to attention when they picked up the soft clinking sound of glass hitting the floor behind her. Not crashing mind you. More like… hopping. Before she even turned around, she knew it was too late to run or hide. She'd probably already been spotted. "Rosalie!" her name being called confirmed this as she turned to face whomever was approaching.

It was a small teacup. But much like the plush mouse, it was no ordinary one. For its handle appeared to be a 'nose' set in the middle of two eyes and just above a now broadly smiling mouth. There was a chip in the white ceramic that made the cup, which was fitting as that was the boy's name. At least, he had been a young boy before the curse had descended upon the helpless residents of the castle. A young boy that Rosalie had known, and still knew, quite well.

"There you are! I've been lookin' for ya all over the place!" Chip's cheer diminished slightly as he came to a stop in front of her and took in her morose expression, whiskers drooping and eyes glistening with unshed tears. He frowned in concern for his friend, and confusion on what could be bothering her when things were currently going so well between the master and Belle, the key to their freedom. "What's wrong?" he inquired.

"Nothing Chip, I'm fine." Rosalie replied softly, a lie and a not very convincing one at that. 'Fine' was not the best word to use to describe one's state of being, as it was used so many times when one was lying that it was a dead giveaway. But when one was in the state of being 'fine', they usually were too busy being focused on whatever was really bothering them to come up with a better excuse. Another testament to the fact that she was not being truthful was that her eyes were on the floor, refusing to meet the gaze of her eager young friend.

Chip's 'lips' twisted in dismay, finding himself in an awkward position. He was young, but he could tell that something was really upsetting her. But if she didn't want to tell him, which she obviously didn't, he didn't want to distress her even more by pushing the subject. At the same time, he wanted her to know he cared and she could talk to him. It was quite confusing, especially for someone so young who had not been in this predicament many times. "Are you sure?" he asked slowly, uncertain as to if this was the right response but it was the only suitable one he could come up with on short notice.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Really." She forced a smile, but it was most definitely not persuasive. "I'll… see you later." She finished uncomfortably before turning and continuing on her lonely, depressed walk. Chip watched her go for a moment, concerned as well as confused to her mood and how to go about changing it. It was then it occurred to him that he knew someone perfect for cheering up his dismal friend. In fact, she was known for being able to stir anybody out of any slump they happened to be in. His mother.

This thought putting the spring back in his hop, he quickly bounced off back down the corridor, keen to find his mom as fast as possible so she could quickly get about consoling the gloomy Rosalie. He had known Rosalie for most of his life, he having been the reason she'd gotten a job in the first place. Rosalie's family had neither been particularly poor nor particularly rich either. In her search for a way out of her small little town and the means of getting more money for her family, she'd wound up looking for a job at the castle. Back when they were all human, of course.

She probably would have been told to leave immediately except for the fact that a very small Chip had taken a liking to her right away and wanted to play. His memories of this were vague of course, he'd barely been a toddler, but his mother had told him about it when he was older. He'd been causing quite a fuss recently, as Mrs. Potts needed to work to keep herself and Chip fed with a roof over their heads, but Chip constantly wanted someone to pay attention and play with him.

So, after much convincing and near-begging on the poor Mrs. Potts' part, the master finally agreed to hire Rosalie to be a nanny for Chip, and any other children that were brought if royal families visited upon the castle, though it was admittedly not often. Thus, Rosalie found herself with a job, Mrs. Potts with the relief that Chip would be taken care of while she worked, and Chip had a new best friend besides Sultan.

Rosalie had been carrying a few of Chip's toys when the curse was cast upon the castle and was transformed into a plush mouse because of it. Chip had heard his mother speculate to Belle once that the mouse portion of the change had come from Rosalie's diffident ways, though he wasn't entirely sure what that had meant. Maybe because his friend was shy? Real mice always seemed incredibly shy, skittering away before one could even try to inform them that they meant no harm.

Because of thinking all of this over and being very focused on getting to his mom so he could, hopefully, help his close friend, Chip did not see the set of legs in front of him until moments before he crashed into them. He yelped in surprise, his small form being caught and cushioned briefly by sky-blue material before it cast him back the way he had come like a fisherman tossing back a too small fish. He landed in a roll and was left lying dizzily on his 'back'. "Chip!" gasped a female voice in surprise and worry "Are you alright?"

Chip felt himself being lifted off the ground by soft, gentle hands and put that with the voice to realize who it was "I'm okay Belle, honest."

He shook himself to clear away the light-headedness and looked up into the kind; slender face of the woman that everyone in the castle was currently hoping would fall in love with the master to break the curse that bound them. Big brown doe eyes flitted over him with slight worry before meeting his gaze and scolding softly "You should be more careful, flying down the hallway like that. Where were you going in such a hurry anyway?"

"I've gotta find Mama!" Chip, suddenly becoming invigorated by the thought of his mission, hopped up and glanced around; realizing that he was much too high and Belle would have to put him down before he would be going anywhere.

Belle's brow furrowed in puzzlement, her full pink lips twisting downward in concern "Why? Are you alright?"

"Not me, _Rose!_" Chip replied in exasperation, as if Belle should already know this by some means "I found her lookin' all sad n' droopy for some reason. She wouldn't tell me why so I need ta find Mama so she can make her feel better!"

Belle was even more perplexed by Chip's answer. What had happened to make Rosalie unhappy? The plush mouse was usually quiet, yes, but always happy. Belle had never once seen her looking sad in any way. If anything, Rosalie was usually spreading her good-nature to others by helping them whenever they asked and being there if they needed someone to talk too. Now, it seemed, it was Rose that was in need of someone to be there for her.

"Alright then, I'll help you find your mother." Belle said resolutely, turning on her heel and going back down the corridor she'd been coming from. Hopefully, between herself and Mrs. Potts, they'd be able to discover what was bothering the young woman turned mouse and how they could be of help.

While Chip and Belle commenced their search for Mrs. Potts, Rosalie continued to wander aimlessly, unaware of her friends' worry over her. She was not concerned about getting lost; she knew the castle like the back of her… well, _paw_. She'd often chased the ever-playful Chip down these very winding hallways back when they were both human, calling after him to stop but a smile gracing her lips as she felt the rush of amused happiness at pursuing the young boy.

But part of Rosalie wished she _would_ get lost. Perhaps then she would also lose the event that had occurred earlier that day, the one that had been stalking her every step like an ever-present shadow. No matter how hard she tried to keep the memory from her mind, no matter how many times she attempted to convince herself that it really didn't matter, it refused to release its constricting hold on her mind, its many tentacles wrapped so tightly around her thoughts that she felt it may never leave. Much as it pained her, the scene kept replaying over and over again in her mind's eye.

_She was just adjusting the cloth runner on a small table when she heard humming. It was a deep, alluring sound, the melody winding around her like a warm, comforting blanket. She closed her eyes and listened, going completely still except for the smile that curled her plush lips without her consent. She knew that hum, knew the powerful voice behind it. And she knew the melody so well that she herself could easily hum along to it except she didn't want to drown out the relaxing tone already gracing her small felt ears._

__

Opening her eyes, she climbed down the leg of the table and onto the floor, moving as silently as she could. Following the sound of the hum, she padded over to the near-by doorway and cautiously poked her head around it, tiny pink nose twitching with interest. Her assumption of who it was who was humming was correct and a familiar mix of warmth and regret washed over her, as it did every time she saw him.

Lips curled in a wide grin, what appeared to be a very alive candelabra continued to hum the lively tune as he twirled about the floor, as if dancing with an invisible partner. The three flames he bore made brief streaks of fire through the air before dissipating into little curls of deep grey smoke that stretched outward as if desperately trying to touch something before it too vanished into the air. Rosalie watched his dance, unable to help the smile already in place on her mouth getting slightly bigger and slightly more affectionate. Nor could she do anything about the rising feeling of sheer bliss that snaked through her stuffed form, starting from her chest and worming its way through to every single part of her body. She may not be human, but that did not stop her from feeling. Nowhere near.

_Suddenly, the candelabra's eyes opened just as he was facing her again and caught sight of her before she could duck back behind the frame of the door. He paused in his whirling movements to beam at her and open his arms up invitingly "Rosalie! I did not see you there mademoiselle, forgive me."_

__

His voice, rich with his French accent and flowing smooth as silk through her, seemed to twine itself around her in a soothing yet binding hold, keeping her rooted to the spot so she couldn't flee. "I-I'm sorry Lumiere, I didn't mean to intrude-" she began apologizing embarrassedly, knowing she'd be blushing right now if she had blood to do so with.

"No no no, no need to apologize my dear, it was no intrusion at all! Come-" he hopped forward, taking her paw in what were his 'hands' and gently tugging her forward to where he'd been dancing moments before "Celebrate with me dear Rosalie!"

She would have protested if her mouth was working properly, but seeing as it wasn't she obediently followed his lead. Her paws were snug, each held between a candle and its holder that acted as Lumiere's hands. Her mind was dizzy with emotions as Lumiere began to spin them about, humming once again. She could feel the vibrations of his unsung melody pulsing in her chest and all throughout her body and she shivered slightly at the exhilarating sensation, dumbly realizing that she'd never really been this close to him before.

As he led them in their twirling waltz, she worked up the courage to look up at his face. He was still smiling broadly, as if he were the happiest man in the world right then and there. Without a doubt, Rosalie knew if she had a heart right now it would be hammering. This all seemed far too good to be true.

She'd first met Lumiere while panicking her first day being Chip's nanny. He'd seemingly disappeared and the castle was hugely intimating and she hadn't the faintest clue where to look. Fear of losing her job and that Chip could be hurt plaguing her brain, she'd nearly rammed into Lumiere while pelting through the halls. A combination of his charm, humor, and soothing tone had managed to calm her down and he assured her that together they'd find the boy before anyone found out about it. Looking back, Rosalie was quite sure it was then, in that moment of him being her knight in shining armor, that she'd let herself fall for him. She hadn't, of course, known that he was quite the flirt or that he was already with a maid named Fifi, but by then it was too late.  
Rosalie had tried to squash the feelings she had for the enchanting maitre d', even sometimes forcing herself to watch he and Fifi together despite the fact it felt like someone was slowly squeezing the life from her heart. But nothing had worked. So she simply pretended it didn't exist. Which worked… most of the time.

But now, now she was in his arms. Spinning and dancing away like the both of them were human again and at some exquisite ball. His deep, silky tone was wrapping her in a cocoon of warmth and happiness as it reverberated inside her. He was beaming, his flames bright with life, and she felt hope start to poke its head up within her. Perhaps she really did have a chance with him. Perhaps years or watching him out of the corner of her eye and silently wondering 'what if' were finally coming to a close.

In a final flourishing move, he brought her down into a dip, their noses brushing briefly. She gazed into his eyes, whiskers quivering and mouth open slightly in vague shock before saying breathlessly "You're very happy."

"Well of course I am!" Lumiere laughed, grin widening while he pulled her up and spun her a final time away from himself, releasing her paws. As she spun to a stop, he finished with a heartfelt air "I 'ave a date set up with my darling sweet Fifi tonight.

Those simple, jovial words are what unintentionally smashed the hope that had budded inside her, like an oblivious child tramping a newly awakened flower. All the excitement and bubbling happiness that had built up within her vanished, leaving her feeling empty and cold. His words were still sweet and as luscious as velvet, but they were no longer meant for her. They never really had been.

Rosalie finally ripped herself free from the memory, tears burning in her eyes once more. She did not blame Lumiere, not at all. It was not as if he was hurting her intentionally. He had no idea about how she felt towards him, that every charming, flirtatious word spoken to her was like dangling a juicy steak in front of a starving man. Taunting and so very painful. But if he did not flirt as he did, he would not be the man that she had accidently fallen for that first day when he told her that everything would be okay and kissed her on the hand. She would never want him to change who he was, even if it meant less pain for her already battered heart.

Emitting a small sigh, she tightened her arms across her furry chest in a vague attempt to hug and comfort herself as she continued on her trek through the empty, mostly unused halls of the castle, slowly and grudgingly making her way back towards where most of the inhabitants of the castle resided.

**_Author's Note: _**I noticed, after I'd finished writing it, that I made Rosalie more a modern plush mouse than one of that era. Sorry about that, I'll probably fix it later if it really bothers anyone. :]


	2. Chapter 2

It had taken longer than Chip would have liked to both find his mother and wait for her to finish giving his brothers and sisters a bath, but now he was sitting next to her on their usual wooden cart, it rolling swiftly along behind Belle as they searched for the saddened plush mouse that was their friend.

"She didn't say what it was that was bothering her?" Mrs. Potts asked her son who shook his head and she frowned slightly in worry "Oh dear. That's never a good sign."

"You'll be able to fix her though, right Mama? You always make people feel better." Chip gazed up at his mother hopefully, wiggling slightly in apprehension.

"I'll do my best to cheer her up dear. Perhaps all she needs is someone to talk to." Mrs. Potts replied with a soft smile at Chip, nuzzling him gently in the closest thing they could get to a hug.

It was quiet for a moment before Belle spoke, tilting her head slightly to the side as if listening to something "Do you hear that?"

They all stopped moving for a moment and listened, straining to hear whatever it was. Faint and quiet though the sound was, they could still make out what it happened to be. "Somebody's singin' Mama!" Chip chirped, bouncing slightly in the hope that they might have finally found Rosalie. They followed the sound of the signing until they reached a doorway leading into one of the many empty guest bedrooms. They silently inched forward so they could hear better and looked inside to find that it was in fact Rosalie doing the singing.

She was looking at the floor and wandering with slow, paced steps around the middle of the room, oblivious to everything except whatever she was feeling and the words she was singing to voice those emotions. Belle bit her lower lip slightly when she saw one tiny teardrop drip off the small plush nose and onto the hard floor that two pink paws were treading upon over and over again in a mindless walk.

"_Yeah you, you got that something  
I think you'll understand.  
When I say that something  
I wanna hold your hand._

_  
I wanna hold your hand,  
I wanna hold your hand."_

Belle and Mrs. Potts cast each other a glance, both suspecting that it was Rosalie's heart that was the cause of her melancholy. Chip, however, was not as well learned in reading into people's emotions as the two women and, though he could tell she was still sad, he had no idea why. Which still bothered him quite a bit because he wanted to fix whatever it was to make his friend happy once more.

"_And when I touch you I feel happy inside  
It's such a feeling that my love  
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide."_

Rosalie didn't bother singing the rest of the song, instead leaning her back against the foot of the bed and hanging her head, exhaling forlornly. Belle decided it was as good a time as ever to go in and gently picked up Mrs. Potts while she told her son "Chip, you stay here."

"But Mama-" Chip began to protest, hopping in a useless attempt to try and get Belle to come back and pick him up as well. Mrs. Potts silenced him with a firm shake of her 'head' before Belle stepped into the room. Chip settled down to wait with a small annoyed huff, pouting though there was nobody around to see him do so.

The plush mouse's head snapped up in surprise when someone came into the room and was taken aback to find Belle carrying Mrs. Potts, both of whom were looking at her with concern. Rosalie probably would have heard them sooner had she not been so wrapped up in her own thoughts. She realized Chip had most likely told the both of them that she'd been acting strangely and grimaced inwardly. She was quite sure that if she even tried to voice what was wrong she would lose the battle against keeping herself together. Besides, what would they think of her?

Belle knelt down onto her knees in front of the stuffed mouse, carefully setting the teapot she was carrying down on the floor. Mrs. Potts hopped over to Rosalie and said kindly "Now now dear, Chip tells us you've been down. Whatever could be wrong?"

Shaking her head, Rosalie quickly tried to come up with a plausible excuse "It's nothing, really. Just… tired. That's all."

"Well it certainly doesn't seem like nothing." Belle said softly, chocolate-brown eyes bright with compassion "And I don't think it's being tired either."

"She's right Rose, there must be something more than that to make you so sad." Mrs. Potts gently leaned into the mouse in a sort of hug "Tell us what's on your mind dear, we're you're friends. You can always trust us."

Rosalie looked downward uncertainly before looking back up at them with glistening eyes, looking slightly desperate "You can't tell him, okay? Please don't tell him."

Belle bit her lower lip ever so slightly, considering something, before venturing "Is this about Lumiere?"

Dark eyes widening in surprise, Rosalie gaped at the brown-haired beauty momentarily before stuttering "How-… how did you-…?"

"I'm afraid it's not as much of a secret as I'm sure you'd like it to be dear." Mrs. Potts said with a gentle smile "We've all seen the way you look at him sometimes. He's one of the only people who _doesn't_ know."

Truthfully, Mrs. Potts had suspected it when on the night following Rosalie's first day she began asking questions about the alluring maitre d'. She said it was purely for curiosity's sake, but her expression upon finding out about Fifi did not look like one who was merely inquisitive. Mrs. Potts hadn't said anything about it, feeling that the young woman would tell her if she wanted too, but every time she'd caught Rose casting Lumiere a longing glance, she felt a twinge of sympathy.

Rosalie hung her head, embarrassed and not feeling particularly better from finding this out. Belle reached over and carefully patted the heartsick mouse on her small arm, saying soothingly "Why don't you tell us what happened?"

While Rosalie relented and told her two friends of the events of that morning, something else was going on in a different part of the castle. Several somethings actually. But a particular one was causing a certain clock a great deal of stress. He was a tense man to begin with, but trying to both make sure the castle was running properly _and_ keeping the master happy so he would not be fired or something even less pleasant was wearing on him.

"Cogs_WORTH_." Boomed a snarling, gravely tone sounding as if a furious grizzly bear that had awoken from its slumber had been given the ability to speak _"Hurry __**UP**__!"_

"Don't worry master, I-I'll find her and when I do I-I'll give her a stern talking to about-" stammered the startled clock, backing up cautiously just to make sure he was out of reach of his master's lethal paws.

"_**NOW!**__"_ roared the voice, the force of it sending Cogsworth reeling and nearly knocking him head over heels.

"Y-yes master, right away." Cogsworth fled from the room before anything worse happened and sprinted off down the hallway as fast as he could, which wasn't all that fast as he was a bit of a portly fellow just as he'd been when he was human. He muttered to himself as he searched for any sign of the teapot who was currently supposed to be serving the master his afternoon tea and was obviously not doing so "Is she _insane_? Is she trying to get us all _killed?_ Or perhaps it's just me she's trying to be rid of. Just because I told her she couldn't leave before making sure all the dishes were well-dried _doesn't_ give her the right too-"

He stopped in the middle of his grumblings and skid to a halt when he saw the familiar golden figure of another source of the clock's stress. Had Cogsworth not been quite so flustered by getting yelled at by the master and the missing Mrs. Potts, and had he not been in such a hurry to find her, he _might_ have noticed that the candelabra was not his usual smiling self. But as it was, Cogsworth's mind was plagued with other, what he thought was more important, things and he had no time to even detect this. "Lumiere, please tell me you've seen Mrs. Potts! The master is _furious_!" Cogsworth panted, out of breath even though he had not run all that far.

"She and Belle went zat way." Lumiere gestured slightly with a hand and, once more, had Cogsworth been paying any attention at all he probably would have observed that Lumiere's flames were out and his voice did not hold its typical suave confidence and cheer. But of course, none of this even registered in Cogsworth's preoccupied mind. Without even so much as a thank you, Cogsworth pelted off in the direction the Lumiere had indicated.

Back with the three women, Rosalie was just finishing up her tale of what had caused her current depressed state. She was actually quite proud of herself for managing to keep her voice from breaking and holding back the tears that kept threatening to escape from her eyes. "I-I know it's a stupid thing to get upset over, I shouldn't have let myself… fall for him in the first place." Rosalie finished, rubbing at her eyes with her dainty pink paws.

"Love isn't something any of us can control dear, it just happens. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Mrs. Potts consoled kindheartedly, offering the young woman a warm smile.

"And don't blame yourself for getting upset over what happened; of course you'd be upset." Belle added, giving Rosalie's back a calming stroke.

Rosalie finished rubbing away any residing tears and looked up at Belle, her slim pink tail twining agitatedly about her legs "What should I do?"

"I think you should tell him." Belle answered firmly, her tone showing she felt it was the only logical answer to the question.

"Tell him?!" Rosalie squeaked, caught off guard by Belle's resolute response, and starred up at the pale, slim face in disbelief "I can't just _tell_ him!"

"Well, why not?" Belle inquired, not at all agitated by Rosalie's reaction, calm as ever as if this were quite simply the right thing to do, simple as that.

The plush mouse seemed even more flustered by what her friend had said, stumbling over her words. "B-Because of Fifi! I mean, he's already with her, I can't just-… do _that_ when they're… you know." Rosalie realized she was babbling a bit and tried to make a better argument "Besides, all it'll do will make things awkward between us and I don't want that. I don't want to ruin our friendship over-… over whatever it is."

"It's true that he is already with Fifi… but I still think you should tell him. So he knows how you feel and can… well, take it into consideration. You never know what could happen." Belle replied determinedly.

"She has a point dear." Mrs. Potts spoke up with a nod, looking rather solemn "It wouldn't hurt to try."

Before Rosalie could come up with an argument against this, Cogsworth burst into the room looking frazzled and very irritated. He was huffing and puffing, apparently having run for a ways, and bent over slightly to catch his breath before glaring at the three women and panting "What-… in the _world_-… are you doing-… here?"

"Rosalie here was a bit dreary so Belle and I are trying to cheer the poor girl up." Mrs. Potts answered, watching the clock with an almost dubious expression.

"Ch-cheering her _up_? I nearly got _killed_ because the master was so furious over you being late and your reason is that Rosalie was _sad_?! Are you completely-…" Cogsworth trailed off in his rant when he noticed how truly dismal the plush mouse looked and that she was hanging her head at his words, looking even more bleak. He cleared his throat uncomfortably then tentatively stepped forward and awkwardly patted the young woman on the shoulder. "Eh, there there Rose. Surely it can't be all _that_ bad, can it? I mean-" he emitted a slightly fake laugh while blurting the first preposterous notion that came to his mind "I-it's not as if you're in love with _Lumiere_ or anything dreadful like that."

Rosalie's furry shoulders slumped and she emitted a small moan before sliding down a little farther against the foot of the bed. Cogsworth's brow furrowed at the reaction then, taking in Belle and Mrs. Potts' expressions he put two and two together and stammered in disbelief "Y-You're in love with _**Lumiere?!**_"

"Shut up!" Rosalie hissed, straightening and looking past his shoulder in a vain attempt to make sure nobody had heard his cry "I don't want the whole castle to know!"

"We're trying to convince her to go talk to him and tell him how she feels." Belle added, glancing at Rosalie before her deep brown eyes rested upon the clock.

"Tell him how she _feels?_ Are you _**mad?!**_" sputtered Cogsworth incredulously "She can't just waltz up to him and-"

His barely started rant was stopped dead in its tracks by twin glares from Belle and Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth gulped nervously then tried again "I-I mean yes, yes, that's a fantastic idea. Of _course_ she should tell him how she feels, it only makes sense."

"No, no, Cogsworth is right. I can't do that, I can't risk our friendship. I don't have a chance against Fifi anyway…" Rosalie murmured quietly, gaze locked on the floor.

She could still remember quite well the first time she had laid eyes upon Fifi. Luscious mink-brown hair pulled up in a bun with the typical maid cap snuggly atop her head, her deep-brown eyes flitted over the shelf she was dusting. Full red lips set beneath a slim, pointed nose were curled in a beautiful smile as she hummed some tune or another as she worked. Her face was slender, angled and glowing with life and cheer. She moved to the melody she was humming, curvy form swaying back and forth gracefully. She was a beautiful woman, nobody could doubt that.

Even when she was cursed, she still held onto her natural attractiveness and grace. She may be a feather duster, but the presence of her beauty still somehow resided even in the feathery form. She was still in some way… striking, duster or not. Whereas Rosalie on the other hand was just a plain, plush mouse. She had fake fur, a tail, and could easily be mistaken for a rat. And anyway, in her human form she hadn't been all that pretty to begin with; at least she didn't think so. Her pear-shaped body was no match for Fifi's prominent hourglass figure.

"I will not have that talk from you Rosalie." Mrs. Potts scolded immediately, well aware of the young woman's lack of self-esteem and disagreeing with it completely "Think about why we're here, why we're all objects instead of humans. It's all about the beauty within dear, which you have."

"Mrs. Potts is right Rosalie; looks on the outside have nothing to do with what's on the inside. I knew a particularly piggish and horrible man in my town who was handsome, but inside was nothing of the sort." Belle wrinkled her nose slightly at the memory of her old courter.

Rosalie shook her head slightly "I-I don't know, I don't think I can just _say_ it to him. I couldn't even say it out loud right now if I wanted to."

Belle and Mrs. Potts both looked to Cogsworth for support who coughed slightly before trying to build up the heartsick mouse's bravado "Come now girl, show some courage! Take charge of things, make yourself known! Are you a man or a mouse?"

Rosalie looked at him, raising a furry eyebrow incredulously and Cogsworth realized his mistake and stammered embarrassedly "Ah yes, well I suppose that's rather, erm… well you know what I _mean_."

After a moment of considering everything that had been said and thinking over all of the years she had spent wishing the one day he might finally notice her more than just being a friend, she pushed herself off from the foot of the bed "Alright, I'll do it."

"Wonderful!" Belle beamed proudly, happy that her friend had built up the courage enough to proceed, brown eyes alight with enthusiasm.

"You'll feel much better with it off your chest dear, you'll see." Mrs. Potts smiled warmly while Rosalie gave the teapot a quick hug in thanks, the plush toy often considering Mrs. Potts very much like a mother, as many of the residents of the house did.

"Splendid, splendid, off you go!" Cogsworth waved his hands at her to try and shoo her away then gave Mrs. Potts a stern look "You've been slacking off your duties. Now I _suggest_ that you get to the master as quickly as possible before he gets any _**angrier**_."

"Cogsworth, it's not her fault that she was late. She was just here for me. Please don't blame her for this." Rosalie said softly, gazing pleadingly up at her, and everyone else's, incredibly stern boss.

The clock put his hands on his hips and glowered at the mouse, opening his mouth to undoubtedly lecture her on something. But he paused, remembering the bleak expression that had been on her furry features moments before and felt the slightest twinge of guilt. He exhaled deeply in an annoyed fashion, though it was mostly aimed at himself for being soft. "Oh _alright_. But _don't_ let it happen again. Go tell Lumiere everything _right now_ before any more trouble is caused by it." He growled, doing his best to sound like his usual gruff self.

"Thank you Cogsworth." Rosalie gave him a quick hug before scampering out of the room to find Lumiere before she worried her way out of telling him the truth. Cogsworth blinked, vaguely stunned at the action, and Belle and Mrs. Potts giggled at his expression before Belle stood and picked up the teapot.

Cogsworth snapped out of his momentary shock as Belle went into the hallway and sat Mrs. Potts down on the cart. Chip had fallen asleep waiting for them to come back, having snuck out of his cupboard the night before to pretend he was an adventurer in search of treasure and wandered about the castle and was quite tired from his late night excursion. Bustling out after the two women, Cogsworth issued instructions brusquely "Mrs. Potts, report to the master _immediately_, it will be my head to pay if you don't! And don't you give me that smile!"

**_Author's Note: _**Once again a sort of 'modern' thing, I realize that 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' was not around back then, but the lyrics fit how she was feeling as did the melody of the song. I forgot to mention that Rosalie's voice, in my head at least, is done by Alexa Vega. Think Repo! The Genetic Opera. x]

What's wrong with Lumiere you ask? Read on to find out~

Also, I don't own Beauty and the Beast or 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'. Not owning BatB goes for all of the chapters. :P


	3. Chapter 3

After wandering around for a bit in search of the maitre d' turned candelabra, Rosalie finally resorted to asking around to see if anyone had seen where he'd gone. The answers she got were mixed at best, especially from the knives who started arguing and got into a 'sword fight'. Feeling like she might not ever locate Lumiere, her dark eyes fell upon Webster, LePlume, and Crane walking along together. She went onto all fours, something she never did often, and ran to catch up with them "Webster!"

Webster, a dictionary with a habit of using large words that nobody knew the meaning of so that he'd have to explain them, turned while raising an 'eyebrow' at his name being called. LePlume and Crane also turned out of curiosity, all three pausing in their walk to watch the plush mouse skid to a stop in front of them. "'Allo Rosalie." LePlume greeted with a smile.

"You look to be in quite a hurry, in haste, exerting swiftness, a rush." Webster observed, using several different ways of describing her as he did with most things.

"Yeah, you alright? You look a bit flustered there." Crane spoke up, cocking his paper 'head' slightly in a curious fashion.

"I'm trying to find Lumiere, have you seen him?" Rosalie inquired, glancing at each of their faces in turn while her questioning eyes looked for any hint of information.

"Last we saw 'e was in ze ballroom." The ink pen answered, gesturing in the direction with his feather tip.

"Mmnyes-" Webster agreed in his nasally tone, nodding in agreement with what LePlume had said but only slightly as to not knock his glasses from where they were perched on his blue nose "The fellow seemed quite down, depressed, gloomy, disheartened, even dejected one might say."

"We tried talking to 'im, but 'e wouldn't tell us anything. Just told us 'e wanted to be alone." Crane added and made a shrugging motion, or at least, the closest to shrugging a stack of papers could get to.

"Thanks guys." Rosalie said before swiftly turning and darting back down the corridor towards the ball room. As her small pink paws carried her quickly down the hall, her mind was racing from what they had said. Lumiere was upset about something? But what? He'd been in such a jovial mood that morning, what could have changed that so drastically? She wondered if she should still tell him or if that would only worsen things. Deciding that his problems would come first and she would deliver comfort to him first and foremost, she slowed as she reached a small side door that led into the room, it being about halfway open.

The first thing that worried her was that she could hear no humming, not even the faintest musical note, no matter how hard she strained her pink felt ears. Lumiere was almost always humming some cheerful tune or another, especially when he was alone and free to sway or sometimes even dance along too it. The fact that he wasn't doing so was a bit alarming. Biting her lower lip slightly and wondering again what had happened, she cautiously poked her head around the door to peer inside.

The ballroom was spectacularly gigantic. The pink-purple glow from the setting sun was the only lighting the room had at the moment and it bounced around the intricately decorated walls with smooth grace and managed to reach even the highest point in the domed ceiling, just barely. The piano, as it wasn't in use, was nearby her almost pressed to the wall, seeming almost gloomy at being ignored in its little corner as it was totally shut up, not even the ivory keys peeking out. At first glance, the vast expanse that was the ballroom's sleek floor seemed empty. But then something caught her eye.

She would have found him immediately had his candles been lit. But, to her unease, they were not. The wicks, charred black from use, were devoid of their usual accompaniment of small golden-yellow and burnt orange flames. This was her second indication that this was more than a case of being a bit down in the dumps. The lone figure, looking small and alone in the gargantuan room without even his three small flames for company, was standing mostly still, though Rosalie thought she could see his 'shoulders' shaking ever so slightly. His arms hung limply at his sides, head bowed and eyes closed. His lips were not curled in the handsome grin she had seen so many times that she knew it by heart.

This was not the flirtatious, kind-hearted maitre d' that she had nearly ran into on that day so many years ago. It was not the comforting soul that had assured her that all would be okay as he helped her find the missing Chip. It was not the flamboyant, stubborn man that got into arguments with Cogsworth almost every time they were in the same room together, or the determined candelabra that had invited Belle's father to stay or given Belle an awe-inspiring dinner despite the master having forbid them too.

And it was most definitely not the confident, love-filled Lumiere that she had danced with that very morning.

This man, this Lumiere, was not one that Rosalie had ever seen before, nor had she expected to see. Gone was the romantic, witty charm that he used on everyone that made it so they couldn't help but smile, or in Cogsworth's case groan. The cheerful tune that was almost always playing within him, even when he wasn't humming or singing it aloud had been lost. His passion-filled, vivacious internal flame that had kept himself and others going no matter how difficult or stressful the obstacle had vanished along with tiny globes of fire that usually danced upon his hands and head.

The plush mouse felt what almost seemed like fear mixed with anxiety and concern prickle through her in a wave upon seeing the candelabra so very different from she knew and had fallen for. The one she'd been near-crying over and singing for not too long ago. What could have so completely sucked the life from him like this? What possibly could have happened to the smiling, warm-spirited man she'd twirled and dipped with hours before? And, the most pressing of all of her questions, what could _she_ possibly do to comfort him?

Moving slowly, as if anything faster would disturb the forlorn soul that stood despondently in the center of the dance floor that he himself had spun over several times, Rosalie silently approached him. She had no claws to click against the hard floor, the sound of her pink paws and tail barely making the softest whisper was she crossed the huge room. She had a feeling that even if she had made any noise, he wouldn't have heard it. He was lost within himself and it would take a lot to stir him out of it. And even more than that to free him from it.

After a minute or so she finally reached him, pausing mere inches away. Unsure of what to do next, she cautiously reached out a paw to touch his shoulder and breathed, voice quiet as the rustle of leaves as a slight breeze snuck through "Lumiere?"

Lumiere whipped around to face her in surprise and she emitted a soft gasp and retracted her hand in equal shock. His shoulders relaxed, slumping slightly, upon seeing it was her and let out an airy, forced laugh as fake as the smile that attempted to touch his lips "Oh, Rosalie! You scared me mademoiselle."

Quickly, and rather nervously for someone usually as cool, calm, and collected as Lumiere, he ran his 'hands' across his eyes and Rosalie realized with a start that he'd been crying. "What can I do for you my dear? Is Cogsworth looking for me?" Lumiere looked as if he were about to leave "I suppose I should get back to-"

"Wait." Rosalie reached out and put a paw on his arm to keep him from going and his gaze met hers, vaguely caught off guard by her action. "I was looking for you, not Cogsworth. But… what's wrong?" she asked gently, cocking her head to the side while studying his face.

It has before been mentioned that despite most of the residents of the castle being usually what were inanimate objects, they still felt. Very much so. And Lumiere was currently the perfect testament to that fact. Looking up into his wax features, there could be no doubt that a human, or at least, someone who had once been human, inhabited the body. For the strained smile he bore was not one that had simply been carved into the wax or painted on. Because beneath it, there was true pain. And his dark eyes, usually gleaming with life, were dim.

Lumiere broke his eyes free from hers at the question, looking away while his arms drooped back down to his sides. He gave up on trying to hide his anguish, the barely-there smile vanishing completely, and emitted a soft sigh."You remember this morning, when I told you that Fifi and I 'ad a date planned?"

"Yes." Rosalie answered slowly, feeling the faintest twinge of leftover heartache at the reminder of that morning's incident, though her worry for him squashed it almost immediately.

"I'm afraid it… did not go quite as planned. She-… she told me she was seeing someone else." Lumiere said quietly, eyes half closed as he gazed at the floor without really seeing it, lost in the memory. Rosalie's eyes widened in shock and her mouth opened, though no sound or words of comfort ventured out of it. She was far too stunned for that.

"He-… He's one of the violins from the Orchestra. Very talented apparently. No doubt he can serenade her much better than I." Lumiere emitted a sort of strained chuckle, empty of any humor whatsoever like a bean pod rustling but being devoid of its seeds. He shook his head slightly before continuing. "I asked her why, what I'd done. How I could change. She… she told me that she was tired of me 'flirting' with women all the time. That it was romantic at first but… she wants someone who she knows will always be hers. I guess this violin can give her this. I tried to tell her I could change, that I _would_ change."

"She did not believe me, though who could blame her? I suppose… maybe I deserved it. She deserves someone better. Someone who-… who couldn't burn her when he wasn't paying attention." A single wax tear escaped from the corner of his eye and trickled down his long, slender nose before dripping onto the floor, a small circle of ivory wax the only evidence of his heartbreak.

Lumiere gave himself a small shake and back was the sham smile to feign happiness that was not at all there as he tried to sniff as unnoticeably as possible "Listen to me, babbling on. We've got work to do! Don't want Cogsworth getting his screws in a bunch over us, no?"

"Lumiere, you didn't deserve that." Rosalie said quietly and he froze in surprise, looking at her to find that now she was gazing at the floor "You _are_ the better someone, even if she doesn't see it. Yes, you flirt. But that's apart of who you are, your personality. Your charm. And it doesn't matter anyway because you're a caring, wonderful person. If not for you, Belle's father might have been seriously injured, wandering blindly into the West Wing. Belle could still be up in the tower without food because of her refusing to come down and eat. It's your kindness that helped them and helps keep all of us here together every day. If not for you… I probably would have been fired and wouldn't even be here right now."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Lumiere asked with a melancholy smile "If you were not here, you would not be cursed."

"But I also wouldn't know Chip or Mrs. Potts or Cogsworth. And I wouldn't be here with you." Rosalie finally worked up the nerves to look up into his face "You shouldn't have to change for her or anyone else because you're _you_ and that's all you should be. So what if he can play her mindless music? Your singing comes from your heart, and that's what matters. She's crazy to have let an amazing guy like you go. Having you would be worth a burn."

Rosalie realized everything she'd just admitted, as it's really just poured from her mouth without her consent, and would have blushed had she been able too. Instead she settled for ducking her head embarrassedly, fiddling with the tip of her tail in her forepaws.

"Rosalie?" she looked up when his rolling, warm tone spoke her name and was slightly taken aback to find that his candles were suddenly alight once more, burning brightly and dancing as if overjoyed to be back "Why was it you were looking for me?"

"To tell you… everything I just said I suppose." She answered sheepishly, eyes going downwards briefly before she forced herself to be brave and met his gaze again.

"You mean you-…?" he inquired in slight surprise, studying the plush mouse's fur-covered features.

She nodded slightly and admitted softly with a nervous smile "From when I first met you."

At this, a smile slowly quirked the corners of his lips. But this time, it was genuine. There was no falseness or sorrow behind it, it was just pure and simple happiness. The spark of dazzling life that usually flickered in his eyes was rekindled, albeit not completely back to its normal brightness. It would take time to heal, as all wounds did. But it would, eventually, be restored. Perhaps a bit faster than it would have before this revelation.

"And it took you 'til _now_ to tell me?" he laughed, deep and hearty this time and put his arms around her in a hug, completely aware of the flames of his hands and where they were so he would not harm her. And, despite her also being well aware of his small shimmering fires, she was unafraid as she returned the embrace, closing her eyes and beaming while her heart soared and smashed free of the ache it had been shackled in for most of that day.

They broke away after a moment and Lumiere went into a deep bow, taking her paw in his hands and purring with a broad grin "Care to dance mademoiselle?"

She giggled softly as he placed a kiss on her small pink paw, smile widening slightly as she was reminded of her first moments of ever meeting the alluring maitre d' "Why thank you monsieur."

"Are you sure you are not afraid of being burned?" he inquired as he straightened, reverting back to being serious momentarily as worry appeared in his dark eyes.

Rosalie shook her head, smile soft, and replied without hesitation "No. I trust you."

The grin burst back to life on his lips, lighting up his features and wiping away the concern and solemnity. Putting their 'hands' in the proper places, unlike their dance hours before, the candelabra led them in a swirling, graceful waltz around the enormous floor of the ballroom. Unknown to the couple, they were being watched by four pairs of delight-filled eyes from the same doorway Rosalie had entered. Chip was just happy to see his friend was no longer dreary, Mrs. Potts and Belle observed the dancers with soft, proud smiles to see that the plush mouse had worked up the courage to reveal her feelings, and even Cogsworth was smiling ever so slightly. He let out a small, nearly heartfelt sigh then sternly shooed them all away, whispering angrily about privacy and needing to get back to work.

Lumiere began to hum as they spun, once again his deep, rumbling tone rolling through Rosalie in blissful, comforting waves and seemed to stay within her chest, right where he heart would be if she were human. He was grinning the dashing, charm-filled grin that was usually at home on his face, watching her from beneath half-closed eyelids. And she beamed while happiness bubbled up within her so fully that she felt she might burst with it. Because this time his sweet voice and alluring grin were all hers.

**_Author's Note: _**First of all, I loved Webster, LePlume, and Crane from 'Belle's Magical World', which is why I put them in here. :]

Now, I know that there are many Lumiere/Fifi fans, so I'm sorry if this upsets you. But... I don't know, from the way she reacted to the thought of Lumiere and Belle together it just seems it could happen. Of course she'd find Lumiere alluring at first, but soon she'd want someone who's only got eyes for her, you know? Maybe it's just me. But I really hope this doesn't ruin my story for anyone. :( Especially because I'd really like to write another one involving Cogsworth's past.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this. I know I did writing it. 3


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